He paused, then added, "Of course, this will be limited to the outer city. We won't interfere with your activities, nor will we enter your courtyard."
Ian's eyes shifted slightly.
'Protection?'
'More like surveillance, I suspect.'
'But it doesn't matter.'
He needed the Business Alliance's network and resources right now. Some prices had to be paid.
"Thank Elder Chen for me," Ian said calmly.
"I certainly will!"
...
Before Ian had even left his room, the sound of synchronized shouts echoed from outside.
Some time ago, he had rented the two adjacent empty courtyards, which was just enough to house the hundred-plus people. It was no longer as crowded as before.
Women squatted by the walls, cooking thin porridge in cracked clay pots. The steam drifted into white plumes in the cold wind.
The men were inspecting their crude tools: a few chipped knives, broken wooden staves, and pieces of rusted iron scavenged from the ruins.
